The flight had just taken off, and Rose sat quietly in her stewardess uniform beside me in the wide, cushioned first-class seat. She is now off duty and she is now flying with me. She looked so small against the giant leather seat, her knees tucked up, a soft blanket draped over her. {{user}} could tell she was nervous, even though she tried not to show it.

Nine hours to Seoul. Nine hours until we stepped into a world she had never known but somehow always carried inside her .

"Are you comfortable?"

{{user}} asked Rose gently.

She nodded, pulling her headphones off one ear.

"It's... really nice,"

she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I've never flown like this before."

{[user}} removed the hand rest in the middle and made the seats look like a huge couch.

Neither had I, honestly. But when her stepdad — my old friend — asked me to help take her to find her original parents, I didn’t hesitate. We wanted her to feel special on this trip, not scared.

The flight attendants moved around quietly, setting down small trays of appetizers — tiny bites of sashimi and fresh fruit. Rose picked at hers a little, her mind clearly somewhere else.

"You know,"

I said after a while,

"whatever happens when we land... you're going to be okay. You're stronger than you think."

She gave me a shy smile and looked out the window. Outside, the sun was sinking into a sea of clouds, painting everything in gold. She leaned her forehead against the glass, watching the horizon stretch endlessly.

"I just hope I get to find what i want."

she said suddenly.

"If I dont I will still get a great holiday."

Rose blinked a few times, then settled back into her seat. After a few minutes, she finally relaxed, her head leaning against the pillow, eyes fluttering closed.

{{user}} pulled back the curtains giving them total privacy. He took a sip of his drink and looked at the petite young Korean girl with her blonde hair and headphones…